Royal Family LIVE: Meghan Markle gives ‘cruel’ trolls clear message amid bullying claims

Meghan Markle gave a heartfelt speech about online safety at a panel discussion on Day 1 of her and Prince Harry’s trip to Colombia.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex participated in the Responsible Digital Future Summit which was hosted by The Archewell Foundation, in partnership with The Office of the Vice President of Colombia and Luminate. The event aimed to bring together a diverse group of thought leaders, experts, activists, and community members who are united by a shared vision of fostering a healthier and more ethical digital landscape.

During her speech, Meghan urged social media trolls to “think” what their “parents or grandparents taught them” when it comes to making “cruel” comments online. The Duchess has long campaigned for online safety and has previously talked about online abuse and online bullying, with the couple most recently launching The Parents’ Network, which aims to tackle child safety online and connect families who have lost their children to suicide due to a lack of safeguarding online.

The Duchess said: “Maybe your grandmother used to say it to you, ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’. The digital age has almost created a culture where if you don’t have anything cruel to say, don’t say anything at all. And that is fundamentally changing how we move through the world, how we connect with each other, and I think, as we continue with this work, we continue learning and investing and grant giving to young adults, we can be changemakers in this space.

She added: “We should model how we want our kids to be raised and for the world in which we raise them. It doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter who you are. Either you personally or someone you know is a victim to what’s happening online. And that’s something we can actively work on every day to remedy.”